Is there one particular MS indicator that alerts medical professionals that their patients will ultimately develop the disease? Medical diagnosis is based on the observation of various indicators or symptoms and the consideration of the medical conditions with which they are associated. Thus, it would be difficult for a medical professional to tell, based on the existence of just one MS indicator or MS symptom, whether the patient already had MS or would ultimately develop it. This can be demonstrated by considering specific indicators of MS.
Can a Diagnosis be Made on the Basis of One MS Indicator?
MS patients often develop blurriness or double vision very early in the progression of MS. Taken on its own, this symptom could be indicative of many different diseases or conditions. Cataracts constitute one such condition. They are a common cause of both double vision and blurriness. They develop when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy due to age or other factors. Diabetes can also lead to blurry vision when high blood sugar levels are allowed to damage the optic nerves. Over time, the damage could extend to the eyes’ lenses and could even cause blindness. Macular degeneration is yet another condition that could cause blurry vision. It is associated with risk factors like smoking, diabetes and heart disease.
Clearly, it is not wise for a doctor to conclude that his or her patient has multiple sclerosis based solely on eye symptoms. A good doctor would make a point of determining what other symptoms or indicators the patient had. If the patient had a cluster of symptoms that were typically associated with diabetes, then it would be possible for the doctor to confirm the diagnosis by running a series of related tests. If, however, the patient had other symptoms that were more consistent with multiple sclerosis, then the doctor would know to run tests and scans that would confirm the MS diagnosis. This shows that a single symptom like blurry vision or double vision is not necessarily an MS indicator. However, if it occurs with symptoms like tingling or numbness in the extremities, dizziness and sudden paralysis, then it is likely to be an MS indicator.
The same approach can be applied to other MS indicators, including slurred speech. Slurred speech can be an indicator, not just of MS but also of a stroke, a brain tumor, or the ingestion of certain sedatives or narcotics. The only way to determine whether it is connected to MS is by examining the accompanying indicators or symptoms and doing the relevant tests.
